Continuing the tradition, Plastotype is a name that stands for quality, service and reliability. A name which is steeped in history.

Flexographic & Letterpress – Foundry Service

Photopolymer & Rubber printing plates.

The History of ‘Plasto’

The original Plastotype was founded in 1942 (Stamford Street, London), to develop and manufacture plastic printing plates instead of using metal type in a type chase.

The original thermosetting plastic ‘Plasto’ plates, together with the later thermoplastic plates, revolutionised the printing industry of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Plastos were inexpensive, easy to produce and much lighter than traditional metal plates; more importantly, they lasted longer and generally gave better ink transfer.

In the sixties, the original Plastotype Ltd developed and perfected the manufacture of rigid and laminated plastic plates for flatbed and rotary letterpress printing and became renowned for our knowledge of the production of plastic and rubber stereos and embossing dies.

A decade later, Plastotype Ltd’s pioneering work with photopolymers opened up new opportunities for flexographic and letterpress printers. Although it took time for the technology to replace rubber plates, it is now an accepted method of producing plates for applications ranging from label to corrugated carton printing.

In 2003, Plastotype Ltd relocated to Coleford, Gloucestershire to continue its Flexographic and Letterpress business under the parent company, Pomeroy Pressroom Products (PPP) which were supplying the Lithographic sector of the printing trade. This continued until early 2014 when PPP closed.

The good news is that the Plastotype brand continues and has now been relocated to Lydney, Gloucestershire, where it continues to produce Rubber and Photopolymer printing plates.

Today, we aim to continue the tradition…